Give 10 per cent of your estate to charity, ministers urge

Britain should become the first country in the world where people “routinely”
give 10 per cent of their estate when they die to charity, the Coalition
believes.

By Andrew Porter, Political Editor

6:35PM GMT 07 Dec 2010

Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, wants Britain to develop a more giving nature and help fund good causes. He will deliver a speech today outlining the Government’s philanthropy strategy that will be seen as part of David Cameron’s wider promotion of the Big Society.

In the age of austerity and with funding for the arts being cut Mr Hunt is keen to promote greater giving, but his plans are likely to be scoffed at by some people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Ministers are looking at extending existing tax breaks for charitable giving. That would help encourage more people to give to leave money when they die.

Details of today’s strategy will also talk of the Government’s long-term aspiration to make Britain the first country in the world where people routinely give 10 per cent of their estate to charity.

It is thought that one plan being examined to encourage more giving is to match funding from the public with cash from the Arts Council lottery fund.

There are also plans to develop endowments to help fund the arts. Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, has compiled a report, commissioned by Mr Hunt, to look at how the endowments can promote greater philanthropy in Britain.

Mr Hunt’s department has been told to find 25 per cent savings over the next four years.

With arts funding being targeted Mr Hunt wants wealthy Britons – business figures in particular – to look to the United States and emulate that culture of giving.

The Culture Secretary believes the gap left by some public funding cutbacks can be filled by more private and lottery money.

But signs that charitable donations have also started to wane as a result of the tough economic times, yesterday led to the Coalition being attacked by Thomas Hughes-Hallett, the chief executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

He said: “There has been a lot of talk about the Big Society and philanthropy but actually there has been little or nothing done to support levels of giving.”

He added: “This is already a very generous nation in terms of volunteering and you cannot have a Big Society without money.”